Video: Mirage “Erasure”

The new post-punk act Mirage is an intriguing international collaboration between two prominent artists in the field of underground music and art. Cato Stormoen, known from Deathhammer, is the driving force behind the music while Berlin-based animation artist and singer extraordinaire Jan Utecht delivers the vocals. Video to the first song off the duo’s debut 7″ EP, set for the international release on July 30th via Svart Records, for the song “Erasure.” The video is directed by Utecht:

Comments Stormoen,

“Mirage began as a solo project of mine sometime during 2013. I started playing these cold riffs out of nowhere, and they quickly became full songs. I recorded some instrumental demos during that year and tried to find a proper singer, but it never came to fruition and I didn’t think much about the songs for a while. Come fall 2015, I knew my friend Jan was going to Norway with Occvlta to play a couple of shows up here, and these songs popped up in my head again because we always shared a similar interest in the realm of dark rock music, post-punk, ’80s synth, experimental stuff, and whatever.”

As Utecht recalls,

“I already knew Cato’s instrumentals for years, but I would not write just something superficial, because Cato would smell it. So, when I booked the trip, I decided it will be best to let the city and what happens there inspire me. While visiting the old fortress, my girlfriend Akershus, who joined me on that trip, and I talked about bisexual erasure, and the term ‘Erasure’ stuck with me for a while. I find it a very strong word, and everybody connects it to the band immediately, which is good. It also fitted the bleak autumn impression I got from my first Oslo stay. Weather, homeless people, junkies, and the intrusive smell of bacon in every kiosk, and no young, cool, and pretty kids like in Stockholm…all of that corresponded very well with my idea of what a Mirage song could be about.”

“As for the music, the riffs just came forth,”

concludes Stormoen,

“and I had absolutely no intent of starting a band like this, but I’m glad it happened, because I think the songs are good. I listen to an extreme amount of very diverse music all the time, but when I listen to these songs, ‘Erasure’ reminds me a bit of Sisters of Mercy (first era-style) and ‘Oslo,’ I guess, reminds me of old Christian Death. Unjoy!”